US airline suspends staff after black men kicked off flight

Several American Airlines employees have been placed on leave following an incident where black passengers were removed from a flight due to a complaint about body odour.

In May, three passengers filed a lawsuit against the airline, alleging racial discrimination in connection with the 5 January incident, reports BBC. 

In a memo to employees dated 18 June, CEO Robert Isom stated that the incident was unacceptable and acknowledged that the company "fell short" of its commitment to customers. "We are holding those involved accountable, including removing team members from service," the airline said in a statement.

Additionally, the company has announced several initiatives to prevent similar incidents in the future, including forming an "advisory group" focused on the experiences of black passengers.

The lawsuit filed in May by three men—who were not seated together and did not know each other—alleges that every black man on the flight from Phoenix, Arizona to New York City was removed. A total of eight passengers were taken off the flight. "American Airlines singled us out for being black, embarrassed us, and humiliated us," they said in a statement.

The three men—Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal—were eventually allowed to retake their seats on the original flight.

This is not the first time American Airlines has faced discrimination allegations though. In 2017, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) advised black travelers to avoid the airline, citing a pattern of "disrespectful" and "discriminatory" behavior and a "corporate culture of racial insensitivity and possible racial bias." The advisory was lifted the following year after the airline implemented operational changes.

However, on 4 June of this year, the NAACP warned it might reinstate the advisory unless American Airlines provided a "swift and decisive response" to the January incident.